Love Lost
by oopsidontusethisaccountanymore
Summary: "You're Annabeth, right?" Percabeth reunion, but angsty. Written before SON came out. Inspired by but not a songfic of Love Lost by the Temper Trap. Inspired by burdge-bug's drawing of the same name.


"Hold your fire!" a son of Apollo shouted as the flying ship landed in the clearing. They'd been at complete war with this enemy ship, but as it landed and unknown demigods piled off, people had seemed to hesitate. Reyna ran forward, sword only sort of raised. "Reveal yourselves."

When Percy first saw the Greeks, a sense of familiarity washed over him. Maybe it was because he knew them, before his memory was wiped by Hera – Juno – no, Hera. Of course, he couldn't remember. He felt a twinge of pain, perhaps an old injury, when looking at the angry, brown haired daughter of Ares (or, he assumed she must have been a daughter of the war god). There was something there, maybe friendship, looking at the young satyr near the front of the group.

As the new demigods piled off the ship, one blond guy came forward. A murmur of "Jason" rolled over Percy's Roman friends. He didn't recognize this Jason guy, but he'd heard plenty of stories from the other Roman campers.

"We come in peace. I don't know if you know this, but we're from the Greek camp."

Lupa came forward, greeting Jason with a nod of her head. _I know who you are, demigods. Children of the prophecy, step forward._

Percy almost wanted to step forward, but pushed back the sudden urge. Why did the phrase "child of the prophecy" somehow seem like it was talking about him? If only he could remember...

A short Hispanic boy and another girl stepped forward, the girl still holding Jason's hand. Percy heard Reyna's short intake of breath as she noticed the intertwined hands.

"Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus, at your service!" the boy said cheerfully. Percy felt like he'd remember such a character as this guy from his past, but nothing surfaced.

"Piper Mclean, daughter of Aphrodite."

Percy almost wanted to laugh. Although the girl didn't look much like the children of Aphr- Venus, if a daughter of the love goddess was with Jason, Reyna wouldn't stand a chance. Poor girl. Percy sort of wondered if there was anyone like Reyna waiting for him at the Greek camp. For some reason, he hadn't found it in him to fall in love at this camp. There was someone – something stopping him, even though he didn't have a girlfriend.

Jason lowered his gold sword, smiling at Reyna. "We have to team up. You know, to fight Gaea."

"Terra," Reyna corrected angrily. "Are you Greek now, _fatuus_?" Percy took a moment for his brain to process the Latin, since he couldn't understand it as well as Greek... It made much more sense once Lupa had told him he was naturally Greek, a son of Poseidon rather than Neptune.

"Habit," Jason said dismissively. "Listen, Leo and Piper are my friends. The three of us were chosen by Juno to be three of the seven. I assume you're coming too?" Jason looked meaningfully at Percy.

Percy felt his eyes widen. The other Greeks only then noticed Percy. Now he knew that he had once been friends with some of them. A few murmured his name, not unlike the Romans when Jason arrived. One tall Cyclops started saying "Percy!" very loudly before the satyr stopped him. How did he know that Cyclops? Something brotherly...

_Introduce your... friends, Jason, _Lupa said with disdain.

Within twenty minutes or so, most everything was in order. Lupa, Jason, and Reyna were talking quietly near the bow of the ship. The Greeks had all been avoiding Percy for some reason, although the satyr had come over a few minutes ago. He had patiently introduced himself as Grover and added that they had been best friends. Percy felt horrible for not remembering his own best friend. How could he...? Hera better give him back his memories soon.

Now Percy found himself standing a few yards away frfom another of the Greeks, a daughter of Athena with curly blonde hair and the characteristic stormy gray eyes. Percy was tempted to strike up a conversation, but he didn't know who this girl was. All his old friends (or he hoped they had once been friends) had avoided him, besides that Grover guy.

Percy opened his mouth to say something, but couldn't find words. _Okay,_ he told himself. _Let's just be casual. Ask her name, ask her if she knows anything about me, just... _

"You're Annabeth, right?" he asked. For some reason, that name had popped into his mind. It was the first time his brain had autofilled for him. She turned to look at him, eyebrows furrowed, mouth only slightly open. Her eyes... He knew those eyes, and he saw hurt in them. This girl definitely knew him, back before...

She covered well, lowering her eyes and brushing back her bangs. "Yeah. Yeah, Annabeth. And you're Percy Jackson, isn't that right?"

If she was asking his name, did she actually know him? Or maybe she was just bluffing...

"Excuse me, but are you... New to the Greek camp? Did you, you know, know me?"

"I did. I mean, I saw you around, I guess. Son of Poseidon. I'm a daughter of Athena. It would never have worked," she says. He doesn't know what that means, but he wonders if maybe she's trying to convince herself of something.

"Um, I'm sorry I'm asking this, but..." he gestures to the beads around her neck, similar to the ones he wears (although Lupa has told him not to many times). "What are those?"

She glances down at the beads around he neck, expression morphing into a painful remembrance. "These? We get them every year, to symbolize the summers at Camp Half-Blood."

"That's the Greek camp, isn't it? My – my camp."

"You have a cabin there, you know. I mean, you share it with Tyson, but-" She's avoiding his eyes very cleverly, although he can't figure out why.

"I have a brother?" He turns, looking for someone with dark hair and green eyes, like him.

"Yeah. Over there." She nods to the Cyclops. What? He has a _cyclops_ for a brother? That can't-

"This bead was your first summer." She points to a dark blue bead on her necklace with a trident. "The first son of the Big Three we'd had in a long time, see." She hesitantly reaches out a hand towards his neck, then pulls it back immediately. She straightens it again and touches the same bead on his necklace. When he hand brushes his collarbone, he feels a jolt. He _knows_ he knows this girl. But why can't he...?

"And this one?" He points to the last one on her neck, of the Empire State Building. There's scribbles around it, but he can't read the ones very well around his own neck.

"The Titan War."

"That's your dad's college ring," he says, reaching out to touch the ring on her necklace. How does he know that? She pulls back immediately, backing away.

"I thought – I thought you didn't remember anything."

"Got your name, didn't I? It _is_ his ring. He's a... a... scientist? No, historian... Something about planes..." How is he coming up with this? The images, words are just popping into his head. Percy can't help himself. He's grasping onto everything about this girl; it's like air to him.

"I don't- I don't know you," she says, shaking her head, eyes narrowed. Then she turns and runs away.

Dammit, he scared away _another_.

The daughter of Ares comes over. He thinks her name is Clarisse – she introduced herself very sullenly, he remembers, glaring daggers at him. "You remember her, Prissy?"

He doesn't like that nickname at all. There is a nickname he likes, but he can't remember what it is, and he doesn't think this Clarisse girl christened him with that one. "Remember who?"

"Annabeth."

"Was she... my friend? She acts like she knows me, but she's afraid to show it. Do I know you?"

"I wish you didn't. Yeah, well, you saved my life a couple of times. But I saved your ass too, and don't let anyone think otherwise!" She points her spear at his throat. "Oh, dammit. Curse of Achilles, right, and Annabeth won't let me know where your weak spot is..."

"She knows?" he says, shocked. He almost reaches for the small of his back, but then remembers not to give it away. How would he have let a complete stranger know his mortal point? But she isn't a complete stranger, he remembers. He...

"She saved your life. Well, actually, she saved your life a hundred times over, idiot. Too bad you can't remember that stuff. You guys were best friends, yeah. And... No, she'd kill me if I was the one to tell you..."

"What?"

Clarisse grins, and Percy thinks for some reason that she looks like her dad. Did he ever meet her dad? Then she walks away, calm as can be.

"Fine. I'll figure it out on my own," Percy mutters. Where has that girl gone to?

Finally he finds the daughter of Athena. Jason is hugging her comfortingly. Jeez, how many girlfriends does this guy have?

"Just don't do it to Reyna, Jason. _Don't_. Please," she says to him. What? Do what to Reyna, break her heart? Already done.

"At least he doesn't have a girlfr-" Jason stops, noticing Percy, and jumps away from Annabeth. "Sorry, dude. I wasn't- I know she's your-" What, does Jason expect Percy to get defensive about something? There's nothing wrong with what they were saying, was there? What was he about to say? "I think I'll go find Reyna," Jason says, meaningfully glancing at Annabeth.

"What do you want?" she asks, turning away from Percy and crossing her arms.

"I thought we were friends. Why are you mad?"

"I'm angry at myself. I'm angry at Hera, because karma's a bitch. I'm angry at... everyone but you, Seaweed Brain. You know I can never stay angry at you for too long."

Seaweed Brain. There it is. The nickname that fits. He _knows_ she knows him. Why can't he get that last puzzle piece?

"Karma?"

"Oh, you forgot. Well, Hera hates me. I guess she's not too afraid of Aphrodite's wrath, because she seems perfectly happy to wipe your memory."

What does the goddess of love have to do with anything? He's _so confused_.

"Tell me about me. I don't know anything. What do you know about me? You said you sort of knew me," Percy says, taking her shoulder and spinning her around to face him. When she turns her face away, he rolls his eyes. "Look at me. Look me in the eyes and tell me why that's so hard." She complies, gray on green.

"We're supposed to be in love, you stupid son of Poseidon," she says, sighing, and then she walks away from him once more.


End file.
